


Fake Relationship Gone Right

by Lovely_Shine



Category: Aphmau (MyStreet) - Fandom, Minecraft (Video Game), aphmau - Fandom
Genre: Abuse, Assault, Boys who have issues, Bullies, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Gene is a dorky mess, How Do I Tag, I dont know how to tag, M/M, Minecraft MyStreet - Aphmau, MyStreet Phoenix Drop High - Aphmau, Near Death Experiences, Nerdy Shadow Knights, Past Abuse, Shadow Knights - Freeform, They don't even know if they're still faking or not, fake boyfriend
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2021-02-04
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:08:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28296558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lovely_Shine/pseuds/Lovely_Shine
Summary: Gene was a school bully, who had a rather interesting life. One day, fed up with a werewolf who was constantly trying to get him to be their mate, he told them that he had a boyfriend already. Now him and his 'boyfriend', Aaron Lycan, have to go through high school and life while pretending to be in love. But when Gene ends up in the hospital, something between them changed, and when he came back, no one knew where the line between real and fake was, and which side they stood on. That line was blurry and Gene realizes how much Aaron means to him after a while, but does Aaron actually feel the same, or is he still here just because of a stupid statement Gene had said to get a wolf off his back?
Relationships: Gene/Aaron Lycan
Comments: 7
Kudos: 15





	1. A Horrible Excuse

**Author's Note:**

> First time posting a story on here, this is something I have started and planned out. First two chapters are kinda short, and they start getting longer at chapter 3

Gene was leaning against the wall, listening to Zenix and Sasha bicker back and forth about their newest plan, only really tuning in when they both became quiet, a large shadow falling over their group. Dark, dangerous blue eyes looked up and met red, the causer of the shadow standing way too close for comfort.  
Balto, current Alpha of Phoenix Drop High's wolf pack, and a werewolf that has been chasing after Gene since freshman year. Gene has turned him down time and time again but he refused to give up, determined to make Gene become his mate, despite Gene being human.  
"Back up now before I make sure your nose is permanently bent at an angle, wolf-boy." Gene snarled, moving to push off the wall, only to be slammed back down again by a hand belonging to the pursuing Werewolf.  
"Why so mean, Genie~" Balto purred out, smirking as he saw Gene's eyes flash with a moment of panic.  
He began to try and struggle away, growling. "Your advances are pointless."  
"Why? Do you got someone who'll actually love you?"  
No, and they both knew that, still it hurt hearing his fear spoken aloud by a wolf who only wanted Gene's power and the fear that people had of him.  
Gene looked down, before his eyes became steel and he looked up again, a new determination shining like a bright burning flame in his eyes.  
"Actually, Balto, I do. And he's in werewolf class as well. Your class, to be exact."  
Taken aback, he stepped back, raising an eyebrow, while Zenix and Sasha whispered furiously behind him, trying to figure out if Gene was telling the truth of having a werewolf boyfriend and who it might be.  
"Is it Lycan?"  
Gene nodded without thinking, before the realization of who Lycan was hit him. But it was too late to go back, He just had to put a brave face on and hope he could get to Lycan before Balto could.  
While Balto was processing what happened, Gene made his escape, ducking under his arm and stealing down the hall as fast as he could without seeming panicked or scared. He walked quickly, nearly trampling poor Aphmau, who yelped in terror, expecting to be shoved around or bullied.  
"Shit, sorry kit- wait, actually no, I need your help, ok?"  
"G-Gene?! Why should I help you?" She asked, frowning and looking up at him in confusion.  
"LIsten, I'll owe you, BIG time! Just.. Where the fuck is Aaron? I need to talk to him. Now!"


	2. A Desperate Deal

"Why do you need to know where Aaron is, Gene?" She questioned suspiciously, glaring at him now that she knew he wasn't going to try and bully her at the moment. Her golden eyes were trained on Gene, who met the gaze with blue eyes full of annoyance and panic. Whatever he needed with Aaron, it must be pretty important for Gene to look this panicked.  
"That's none of your concern, kitty, now tell me where he is!" He almost screamed, but managed to keep his voice from rising too much. Still, people around them turned to stare at the two as Aphmau meekly points in the direction of the werewolf class.   
He muttered a very soft, unnoticeable thanks and began briskly walking in that direction, rounding corners sharp enough to slice people in half. At the same time, Aaron rounded the corner at the other end of the hall, getting ready to enter a classroom.  
Now, to say Gene ran was an understatement. This man BOLTED down the hall full speed and snagged an arm of Aaron's jacket, dragging him into a nearby bathroom and sliding into a stall, shutting and locking the door quickly while Aaron fought back. When he finally calmed down, he turned to find Aaron's face inches from him, a scowl upon his lips. Now, this close, he could easily make out a few scars that littered his face, but these scars were far from unattractive.  
He found himself trying to map out and memorize the pale smooth skin against darker tan skin before getting a hold of himself again. Specifically when Aaron's hand slammed next to his head against the bathroom stall door, making a loud bang noise and startling the zoned out man.   
"Fuck! What the hell, Aaron!?"  
"I said.. why the fuck did you just drag me into the bathroom like there's a shooter in the school!?"  
Now listen closely. When a man who stands at 6'1" that could easily snap you in half, and has already thrown BALTO out a fucking window, demands an answer. You answer him quickly cause your 5'8" ass wants to keep your skeletal structure in tack.  
"I-I needed your help with something, and I wanted to get to you before Balto could."  
"What? What the fuck is going on in that pea-sized brain of your's, Alejera?"  
He took a deep breathe, biting the inside of his cheek before meeting Aaron's gaze, determined.   
"I need you to be a fake boyfriend for me to get Balto off my back, please I am begging you, Lycan. I swear I'll never make fun of Aphmau again, I won't call her kitty, trip her, blackmail her, make her life a living hell if you just PLEASE pretend that we're dating!"  
Aaron stood there, having Gene pinned to the wall, mouth open in shock. Before he could reply though, the door opened and they heard a voice call out.  
"Genie~ Really think hiding will get you far..?"  
One look at Gene confirmed that he was desperate. His hands were gripping the sleeves of his jacket tightly; of course, there was no way Balto could get into the stall they were hiding in, Gene had locked the door.   
Unknown to them, when Aaron had slammed his hand against the stall door, he jarred the lock of the door, so as Balto yanked doors open and slammed them shut one by one, when he got to the stall the two were hiding in, he stopped, spotting Gene's high tops, but didn't notice Aaron's sneakers. A slow smirk formed on his face as he grabbed the handle and yanked the door open.  
Two loud yelps were heard as he jumped out of the way, causing Gene to hit the floor, hard. And Aaron falling on top of him, bracing himself with his hands. Faces even closer, they stared in silence, before Gene began to babble, putting on a show.  
"Oh my god, babe are you ok! Dammit, Balto, don't you know how to respect people's privacy?" Gene began to say, trying to play it off so it wasn't awkward.  
"U-Uh yeah.. I'm fine.. babe... the real question is if you're alright, you're the one who hit the ground.. hard."  
He began to stand up, brushing himself off before helping Gene up and looking at Balto, who was glaring daggers between them. He gently slide an arm around Gene's waist, hand slipping into his back pocket.  
"You should leave, Balto. Before I put you through another window."  
That got Balto moving, quickly scampering out of the bathroom, probably to spread the news of Phoenix Drop's newest Werewolf-human "couple". As soon as he was gone though, Aaron pulled back again and crossed his arms, staring at Gene.  
The two just silently stood there, taking in one another as their brains whirred, processing everything.   
"If I pretend to be your boyfriend, you'll leave Aphmau alone. For good. No more 'kitty', bullying, teasing. None of it. Understand?  
A slow nod as Gene looked away, rubbing the back of his neck. "So... we have a deal?"  
"... Yeah, we have a deal."  
Aaron held his hand out to shake, Gene's hand slotting against his own almost perfectly when he suddenly pulled him forward into a quick kiss. Well, not really a kiss, more like their lips were inches apart, breath mingling as they waited for the sound of two people rushing away to reach their ears.  
The werewolf pulled back, shocked, just in time to see two werewolves quickly leave the bathroom, startled of what they thought they had walked in on.  
"Sorry... heard them enter..." Gene mumbled, still rather closer than he needed to be.  
Aaron stepped back, clearing his throat and snarling dangerously. "Rule 1, Alejera. Don't ever do that again." He told him, leading the way out of the bathroom, glancing back at Gene, who remained behind.


	3. Save Him Please

When the bell for lunch rang, Aaron moved to quickly leave the classroom, only to find himself blocked by Balto.

"Outta my way." He growled, trying to slip past him, just to be blocked again. A low warning growl started up, rumbling in the back of his throat.

Balto stood his ground, red eyes staring into black ones. "So, is it actually true? You of all people are dating Alejera?"

"Does it matter? Leave him alone, Balto, our relationship is none of your business."

Aaron snarled at him, walking away, roughly bumping into his shoulder on purpose as he left the classroom. Walking down the hall, he noticed out of the corner of his eyes, kids moving out of his way and whispering, catching snippets of conversations, piecing together what the looks were about.

“Do you think he’s in the Shadow Knights now?”

“-as making out in the bathroom!”

“-jera and Lycan!”

“Balto wasn’t the onl-!”

The comments followed him all the way to the lunch room, where he sat down next to Aphmau, groaning in annoyance. The girl looked up at him, waiting to hear what was annoying him; but as he opened his mouth, a pair of arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him back against someone, who dropped their chin onto his head. Instantly, people around them hushed for a couple seconds before picking up where they left off in their conversation.

Gene grinned down at Aaron, fake sweetness in his voice as he spoke. “Hey baby~ How was class, boring I bet.” He said calmly, like this was a normal thing he did everyday,

Aphmau stared at the two of them, shocked confusion on her face as he lifted a hand, pointing at them and trying to find the words to express what was on her mind.

“What’s wrong Kitty? Jealous that I’m with Aaron and you aren’t?” 

Aaron elbowed Gene in the ribs as a warning to watch his mouth and remember their deal, smirking in satisfaction as he heard the soft grunt of pain escape Gene. Turning to look at Aphmau, he gave her a sympathetic look and mouthed ‘Just go with it, please.’ Receiving a nod, he then turned, arms looping around Gene’s waist and yanking him, harder than necessary, half on the seat and half on his lap. He couldn’t help the smirk forming on his face when Gene let out a surprised squeak, tanned face darkening with an embarrassed blush.

“D-Did ya miss me, Puppy~” He asked, trying to regain control of the situation.

“Rule 2, Gene.. Don’t call me puppy or I’ll rip your insides out.~” Aaron snarled gently into his ear, just loud enough for Gene to hear him.

A shudder went down the teen’s spine when the low, dangerous toned voice spoke in his ear, hot breath ruffling his hair. It took a lot in him not to let out a soft whimper, to keep himself from giving in and losing the game they were playing.

The rest of the day consisted of Gene and Aaron bumping into each other, occasionally being somewhat touchy with each other when people were looking. When the final bell rang, Aaron quickly exited the school building and turned to the student parking lot, something catching his attention.

Balto was just visible around the corner, and from the way he was standing, he had someone pinned against the wall. Now usually, Aaron would ignore this, but something in his gut said to save the poor kid who was with Balto. So, he set off swiftly for him, and when he turned the corner and saw who was pinned against the wall, his heart skipped a beat, nearly stopping all together. He took in the scene before him, breath catching in his throat, bile threatening to come up.

Blood soaked the wall behind the poor kid, who looked like they’d just been beaten within centimeters of life. Eyes were dull and gazing at nothing in particular, clothes hung in tatters. There were bite marks crossing all over one arm, but not deep enough for werewolf saliva to get in and turn them, thankfully. His hair hung over his face, shielding the guy’s identity from anyone but Balto. Neither seemed to realize Aaron was there as the wolf reared back, before throwing his fist forward, a loud cracking noise echoing through the parking lot, a nose definitely being broken. 

The pained cry sent shivers down Aaron’s spine as the boy began to actually struggle with the little energy and strength he had left, and when he squirmed, his hair fell out of his face, and dull blue eyes caught sight of Aaron, red ones following suite as he nearly bolted with a figurative tail between his legs. But he was stuck, turned to stone as he stared at the mess of a kid Balto had created, and in his mind flashed images of what might happen if he didn’t help.

‘Gene, bruised, bloodied, and damaged, looked up weakly at him, eyes glazed over, cheeks glistening from tears. His uniform was torn to shreds, and Aaron could see blood soaking the undershirt from a nasty wound on his stomach. Balto, shocked at seeing Aaron, let go of Gene, and the world seemed to slow as they watched his body drop to the ground, a pained cough escaping him, blood dripping from his mouth and busted lip. His nose was swollen and broken, eyes already turning black, cheek bruised.

‘Aaron did not recall much of what happens next, only that Balto was in desperate need of a doctor. He sighed, still furious from the sight he saw, driving down the road and turning onto his street, adjusting the rear view mirror of his truck to make sure the teen laying, soaking his seats with blood, in the backseat was still semi-conscious. Which was a no.

‘Him pulled into the drive, relieved to see that his parents weren’t home, which meant he only had to get past Melissa. Stopping the truck and turning it off, he quickly hopped out and opened the back seat door, reaching in to pick Gene up. Doing a quick sweep of the nearby houses and spotting no one, he makes his way to the front door, unlocking it carefully and pushing it open, carrying Gene inside and kicking the door shut. So far so good, but his luck decided to run out very quickly, as Melissa walked into the foyer, opening her mouth to say something before stopping, mouth agape, eyes wide, staring at the unconscious man in her younger brother’s arms.

‘“Aaron.. What did you do!?” She exclaimed, rushing over to take the boy and start patching him up.

‘This resulted in the two basically playing tug-of-war with Gene’s body, jostling the poor boy and hurting him. Eventually they managed to set him on the couch, and were now standing in the nearby open kitchen, arguing about what to do.

‘“You beat a kid nearly to death!”

‘“It wasn’t me, Melissa.. It was the werewolf Alpha at our school, Balto.. He’s been trying to get to Gene for ages.”

‘“We need to patch him up, and make sure he’s ok.. Do you still have a first aid kit in the truck?”

‘“No.. I used the rest of it after I got into a fight.. And I think the ones in here aren’t fully stocked…”

‘“Tengo un botiquín de primeros auxilios en mi auto…” A voice piped up, making both Lycan kids turn to stare at the speaker.

‘Gene looked at them, sitting up slightly, looking disoriented as he gave them a slight goofy grin.

‘“I’m sorry.. What? I’m fluent in Spanish.” Melissa said calmly, taking control of the situation for her brother.

‘“Solo soy fluido porque soy parte latino… Mi papá era latino, mamá era estadounidense. Dante se parecía a mamá.”

‘“I’ve no idea what he’s saying…” Aaron mumbled, waving his hand to get Gene’s attention. “Do you remember what happened?”

‘“Uhh ... Lobo loco estaba enojado porque yo no ... salir con él

??? No recuerdo exactamente.”

‘“.. In English?”

‘“Uhh... Mad wolf was angry cause I wouldn't..date.. him??? I don't remember exactly. Ughhh, my head hurts, Aaron.. What happened.. Everything hurts…. Fuck.. Lycan.. I think I need a hospital... ” His eyes travelled downwards to look at the blood soaked shirt he wore, eyes widening at all the blood; it was strange, for him to seem so calm when he’s bleeding to death on Aaron Lycan’s couch..

‘Melissa sighed, running off to search for a first aid kit, while Aaron walked over to Gene.

‘“Can I have your phone.. Or your mother’s phone number? Or even Dante’s number.”

‘“Simplemente no coquetees con Dante.” He mumbled, slipping out of consciousness once more after handing his phone over and unlocking it for Aaron.’

Aphmau’s scream of horror is what jarred him from the imaginary scenario that had felt like hours long, yet seemed to be only seconds. Balto bolted from the scene as her and her two.. Not-alone buddies?? came running towards them, while Aaron caught Gene as he fell to the ground, pulling him against his chest.

“Holy cow!! What pissed Balto off so much!?” Travis asked, watching Vylad and Aphmau help Aaron lift Gene back up onto his feet again.

“I don’t know.. But he needs a hospital.. Come on, call your parents, let them know why you might be late getting home, but I can’t take him by myself.” Aaron told them, starting off in the direction of his truck and watching the other three scurry after him, Aphmau staying close as she helped support Gene. 

They got him into the truck, stretched out in the back seat, head in Aphmau’s lap. Vylad in the other seat, using his over shirt to apply pressure to the bleeding. All of them listened to the soft groans and whines that escaped the barely conscious Latino as he tried squirming away from their grips.

In a spur of intelligence, Travis leaned around in the passenger seat, grabbing Gene’s abandoned backpack Vylad had been smart enough to grab and dug through it, pulling out a phone protected in a dark blue case that had a photo pasted over it of himself and Dante. He handed it over to Aaron after unlocking it and opening emergency contacts… all of which were in spanish.

“We need to call a family member.. Maybe his mom?”

“Gene’s mom is probably at dance practice, waiting for him.. So why not Dante?” Aphmau suggested, ignoring the confused look Vylad shot her.

“I need Google Translate..” Aaron grumbled, looking through the contacts and clicking on the one that was, thankfully, labelled ‘Hermanito(Dante)’. He held it to his ear listening to it ring before a female voice answered the phone, speaking in Spanish, assuming it was her son.

“Eugene .. ¿Está todo bien? Dante está en la ducha.”  
“I don’t speak spanish ma’am..”

Silence, before she spoke again, English thank Irene this time, voice turning even more concerned than it originally was.

“What happened to mi hijo?” She asked, waiting for a response, Aaron panicking, unsure of what to tell her. His throat turned dry, closing up, bile once again threatening to come up as the image of Gene torn to shreds flashed in front of his eyes.

Aphmau, seeing his panic, stole the phone from Aaron, putting it on speaker phone.

“Hello Mrs. Alejera.. It’s Aphmau.. Uhm.. Gene was.. We’re on our way to the hospital.. He’s not looking very good.”

“I’m on my way… Aphmau.. Save my son. Please.. We can’t lose him too.”

With that, she hung, apologizing to her dance instructor before speeding to grab all of her stuff.

The drive to the hospital felt like hours, but couldn’t have been longer than 30 minutes at the most. They stopped the car, carefully hoisting Gene, who was now more conscious than earlier. And a lot more expressive of his pain. They were lucky they had Aphmau, who could at least understand what he was saying.

The doctors instantly got him onto a stretcher and began questioning the teens who had brought him in, wondering if they could provide answers as to who did this, where he was found, how much blood was lost. 

Saving them from silence as they tried to answer was the sound of a familiar blue-haired flirt bursting through the front doors, demanding to see his older brother. It took Aaron and some doctors to hold Dante back from running into the halls. Behind him, a poor young-looking woman entered the room, rushing to Dante to contain her youngest son from causing commotion. One look at her made it obvious that Gene got his well… genes.. from his father, who was nowhere to be seen.

Seeing the mother of their patient, a nurse made a beeline towards her, gently pulling her to the side to speak, Dante following now and squeezing his mother’s hand in comfort.

The news wasn’t good.. Gene had to have immediate surgery and blood transfer because of the amount he lost. He was basically sitting on Death's stoop, as if deciding whether to walk through the door or not, clinging to the thread of life. If they had waited any longer to bring him here, there wouldn’t be any chance of saving him.

Balto was expelled from the school the following day after police came with the news that Aaron and the others had told them, and was put in jail until they decided on a sentence that would suit him. Gene wasn’t in school for an entire month, and no one involved was allowed to disclose information about what happened and where he was. Not even to Zenix and Sasha. When he finally returned, in the last stages of recovery, no one, not even Dante, knew he was gonna be at school that day, until he walked into the lunch room, effectively silencing the entire school, looking around, and heading straight for Aaron, sitting next to him and leaning on his shoulder. For, during his recovery, Aaron helped him along every step of the way and the two had grown rather close, Aaron was even planned to be in the courtroom for Baloto’s sentencing, since he witnessed part of the attack, and was the one who had driven him to the hospital. But in the end, he was still his pretend boyfriend, right?


	4. Welcome Home, Little Chromosome

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gene returns home, and finds a familiar, but startling face waiting for him. The two talk, and the familiar face gets to see a side of Gene not many see, even if it is only for a short time. But they're on the right tack, and Gene is ready for a steady recovery

Gene leaned against the car window, watching the buildings and other cars fly by as they drove. Looking at him from the driver’s seat, Maria reached out and placed a gentle hand on her son’s knee, squeezing it lightly to get his attention.

“How you holding up, little chromosome?” She questioned, watching him slowly pull himself out of his thoughts to answer.

“I’m fine..” He told her, giving his mother his best, fake, ‘I’m doing well’ smile.

Apparently, it was believable enough, for she didn’t ask again or prod at the subject, and the car’s occupants once again fell into a silence, both standing stock still on wobbly tightropes, trying to reach each other like they did when he was a young boy, around when Dante was just starting school. But then, they drifted apart, the only reminder of the close bond they once had was in the form of dance practices Gene rarely attends. He shut himself off after 6th grade, meeting Zenix and Sasha, slowly turning sour until he no longer resembled the young, bright child Maria had raised, on both the4 inside and out.

When Maria steered the car into the driveway, she glanced at him, grinning as if she knew something he didn’t. He ignored her strange looks, opening up the door and waiting for her to bring the hospital-issued wheelchair around for him to get in, unable to walk until he could start physical therapy to heal after the attack, which severely damaged his muscles and set him way back. With her help, he stepped out of the car and lowered into, where he was wheeled up a makeshift ramp near their steps and through the front door.

Waiting to greet them on the other side of the foyer was his little brother Dante and.. Aaron!? Teal blue eyes widened at the sight of the taller student standing in the middle of his living room, looking very out of place with his scruffy appearance surrounded by a very clean and organized home. Seeing Gene, Dante rushed forward to hug him, only to be stopped by their mother, holding her arm in front of Gene and Dante, separating them.

“Dante, Gene needs rest, I don’t want you tackling him in hugs anytime soon, do you understand me?” 

“Yes ma’am..” Dante mumbled, looking at the ground sheepishly. He squeaked when Gene ruffled up his hair and gave the younger a small smile.

“Don’t worry Hermanito, I’ll be good as new in no time!”

Behind his back, Maria motioned for Dante to leave him be, and then turned to Aaron. “Will you help get him up the stairs to his room, Aaron dear?”

Without any time to register what she said, Gene felt a pair of strong arms gently pick him up, his face heating as he lifted his head, staring at Aaron. Aaron was unaware of the look, as he carried him over to the stairs and began to ascend them. Down a familiar hallway, and through one door later, he was set onto his bed; the taller boy left the room, returning a few minutes later with the wheelchair, collapsed nice and neat to not take up much room, and set it beside the bed before sitting down on the edge and looking around.

“Nice room.”

“Why are you here?”

“Ouch. Is that anyway to say thank you for saving your ass?”

“I didn’t ask for your help.”

“Gene, you almost died!”

“So? Maybe things would have been better off with me dead.”

Aaron stared at him in shock, trying to process all of this. He looked at Gene, who refused to meet his eyes and instead opted to stare down at his bedspread, which was a dark navy blue color.

“Gene.. What did Balto say to you?”

“Nothing..” His voice cracked, and blue eyes remained trained on the bed spread.

“Why do you think that things would be better if you were dead?”

“Because they just would, Aaron! I do nothing but fuck things up and cause trouble for everyone else! Besides.. It’s not like anyone else really cares about me. I doubt even mom or Dante would really care if I died.”

“Gene… Your mother was in tears when she heard you were in the hospital. Dante decked a doctor just because he couldn’t tell us anything about your condition. Even Aphmau was terrified that you wouldn’t make it. Her mom had to pry her out of a waiting room chair to make her go home, and Vylad’s mom had to take him and Travis home with the help of her husband. All of them have been non-stop asking if you’re ok, when you were being released, could they see you yet.”

“.. You’re lying.”

“No, I’m not. Want some more proof? I have a huge fucking bruise on my chest from Zenix, and my cheek STILL stings from Sasha slapping me, just because I told them you were in the hospital. They thought I was the one who got you sent there.”

“Heh.. That’s Zenix and Sasha for you, they’d kill someone for me if I asked.”

“That doesn’t surprise me but see.. People really do care about you Gene. Dying wouldn’t solve anything.” Aaron told him, grinning as he watched a soft smile form on Gene’s face. But, that smile soon faded into a frown, as their eyes locked, ocean blue with coal black.

“What about Balto..”

“He’s been expelled from what I heard, and the police are keeping him in custody until they can get a statement from you, and then decide their next move. 

“.... And what will happen when I go back?”

“I’m not sure, but no one who knows what happened is allowed to tell anyone else about the incident. Gene, if you don’t mind me asking.. What pissed Balto off so much?”

“You.”

Gene’s voice was soft, barely audible as he whispered the single word, looking back down at the bed spread as Balto’s voice rang in his ears, hurting his head and making his eyes swell up with tears.

_ “What does he have that I don’t? Huh!? What’s so good about Lycan that you chose him over me?” Balto snarled into his ear, delivering a swift punch to Gene’s gut and making him cry out, doubling over in pain as he empties the contents of his stomach. _

_ “B-balto, please.. Leave me alone.” _

_ “Shut up!” fingers threaded through his hair as his head was yanked roughly back, and he found himself staring into furious red eyes. “Shut. Up. You speak when I tell you too, do you understand me, bastard?” _

_ A whimpering noise, nothing like anything Gene’s ever made before, escaped him, as he was shoved against the wall. Sharp teeth sank into his neck, rough fingernails digging into his skin and dragging across it, blood welling up in their wake. _

_ He goes to scream, but a hand wrapped around his throat, restricting his breathing. Balto shoved him backwards again, and his head met brick, a sickening crack echoing through the abandoned parking lot. Hands tore at his clothes, his skin, anything they could reach. Gene was soon covered in so much blood and writhing in so much pain he didn’t even know where one injury ended and another began. _

_ Blood dripped down the tan skin of his face, making it hard to see between that and his hair that fell like a mess over his face. Neither heard the bell. Balto was so focused on taking out his anger, he didn’t notice that Gene had become unresponsive, that the hispanic boy’s eyes were glazed over, or that his breathing was shallow. He didn’t even see the other man round the corner and stand there in shock. _

_ What he did notice though, was the girl’s screams piercing the air. The feeling of hands grabbing his arms, pulling him off of the broken body. _

Gene didn’t realize he was crying until calloused hands wiped away his tears and pulled him in, protecting Gene behind the wall of strong arms. His head was resting on Aaron’s chest, who simply held him in silence, waiting for the moment to pass. Seeing Gene look at him, he offered a sympathetic smile.

“You with me now?” He asked, moving some hair out of Gene’s face. 

“Y-yeah..”

“Alright, I have to go home soon, you should get some rest.”

“I got plenty of rest at the hospital, I don’t need any more.” Gene replied, pulling back and wiping away some more tears.

“I know.. But it’s like a mandatory thing to say to someone in your position, you know?” The raven-haired man told him, standing up and looking at Gene. “Alright, I should get going. I’ll stop by tomorrow with Aphmau and her two friends, mainly so they’ll stop bugging me, alright?”

“HA! Alright. That’s fine.. Mom says it’ll be at least a month before I’m healed enough to go back to school.”

Aaron stood there a bit awkwardly, unsure of what to do. He eventually just gave Gene a wave before leaving the room.

Now alone, Gene struggled to get out from on top of his blanket, pulling it over himself and laying down. He picked up his phone, turning it on. And instantly regretting it as it blew up with notifications from his friends, and just random kids in school whose numbers he forgot that he’d had.

He opened the group chat with Zenix and Sasha, reading a few things before exiting, just as a message came into that conversation.

**WhiteHairedW(b)itch: Eugene, you better fucking reply to us.**

**Porcupine: You forgot we all have Iphones, and we can see when you read our messages. So answer us.**

**WhiteHairedW(b)itch: Or we’ll spam your phone until you do.**

**AngryHispanic is typing…**

**…**

**Porcupine: EUGENE ALEJERA, IF YOU DON’T REPLY, I’M GOING TO KILL YOU.**

**AngryHispanic: Already nearly died, that threat holds no power over me now. And I’m tired, can’t we talk later?**

**WhiteHairedW(b)itch: Gene, it’s been a week since we’ve so much as saw you read our texts. What happened?**

**AngryHispanic: Balto, obviously. Seriously, We’ll talk later. I’ll even video call to make you happy.**

**Porcupine, WhiteHairedW(b)itch is typing…**

**Porcupine: Fine. Talk to you in a bit, Mom’s calling me anyways.**

**WhiteHairedW(b)itch: Ttyl, I Love you, you idiots.**

**Porcupine: Love ya too, sis.**

**AngryHispanic: I love you guys too, seriously.**

He set his phone down, a small smile gracing his lips, which parted to let a quiet yawn slip past. Gene settled down into his bed, never realizing how comfortable his mattress was until staying on uncomfortable hospital beds for a week. Sleep wasn’t too hard to come by for once, and he drifted off quicker than he has in years, dreams full of his friends, his mom and brother, and even some nice ones of Aaron, all of which left that small smile resting upon his sleeping face, as he took the first few steps into recovery.


	5. Familiar  Faces

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aaron swings by with two familiar faces, both of which are ready to murder and hug Gene at the same time. But they aren't the only familiar faces that are going to be showing up today, and the Alejera family of three might not be ready to face their past just yet.

They were scheduled to come over and visit after his therapy appointment. Gene understood why he needed the physical therapy, but not why his mom decided to get him an actual therapist. The woman would come over and asked how he felt, what was on his mind, and simple things like that. Not like he ever answered her questions though, refusing to give in to believing he needed therapy.

Physical therapy was a whole other story. Because the attack left him in a wheelchair, the damage to his body severe, he was unable to walk without extensive therapy. He’d come quite a bit already while in the hospital. Twice a week, every week. Tuesday and Wednesday. Under his mom’s supervision, he was allowed to walk around at home to practice more.

There was a knock at the front door, making Gene stirr from where he was resting on the couch, head in Maria’s lap. “‘S probably Aaron with Zeni and Sash.. and Aphmau.” He sat up and slowly stood, walking towards the door, bracing himself on the wall to keep from falling down. He’s done that enough over the past few weeks to last him a lifetime.

Opening the door, after the second round of knocking, Gene’s oceanic eyes met coal ones, Aaron standing on the other side of the threshold. Behind him, Gene heard two gasps, recognizing long white hair, and short spiky rust hair.

“Heyyyy~” He said calmly, as if he wasn’t wrapped in bandages and using the small table in the foyer as a support to stay upright.

Sasha carefully maneuvered around Aaron, as to look at Gene better. Her dark violet eyes were shiny, full of unshed tears, and when Gene glanced down at her hands, while she was twirling them around eachother out of nerves, he saw how badly she was shaking. Zenix didn’t look much better; the bags under his eyes were almost as noticeable as Gene’s and for once he wasn’t wearing his red-eyed contacts, so even Aaron could see the chocolate brown color of his eyes.They were both ready to break and start bawling, and Gene’s facade of being alright began to fade.

Before he knew it, the three of them were all on the ground, clutching each other tightly. Gene had Zenix’s face buried in his chest, and Sasha’s into his neck, while he hid his own face in the spiky yet soft locks of the smaller boy. The front of his shirt was getting soaked with Zenix’s tears, as well as the collar from Sasha. That’s what sent him over the edge, hearing the two of them crying their eyes out from how worried sick they had been. 

The tears started out slowly, but once they began, he couldn’t stop crying, and just held them tighter, whispering gently to them.

“Shh, s-s-stop crying, alright? I’m her-here.. I’m not going anywhere anytime soon, ok? So stop b-bawling like babies!”

Aaron decided to give them some privacy, carefully trying to step around them when a hand on his jeans stopped him. Looking down, he was met with red puffy, chocolate eyes.

“You saved him.. A-A-Aaron.. Thank you, so.. so much. If we lost him..” Zenix trailed off, not needing to bother with finishing his sentence, Aaron understood just by looking in his eyes.

“It wasn’t just me, Aphmau and her friends helped too, but.. Your welcome. No one deserves to ever go through that; you can bet your ass when Balto’s trial is held, or if I ever see him again outside of a courtroom.. He’s going to fucking regret hurting Gene.”

Sasha felt Gene stiffen as he heard what Aaron said, and could tell he had turned his head to look at the other man. Their gazes met, and both Sasha and Zenix knew, something indescribable changed between the two seniors in that moment. Something that would change everything.

Whatever had suddenly shifted between them, it was gone before anyone could figure out what it even was. Aaron cleared his throat, and moved out of the foyer, off to go find Maria and talk to her, having news about Gene’s school work and such. The Shadow Knights stayed put, in a messy pile in the middle of the floor, remembering times when they were younger, smaller, and didn’t take up as much space as they did now.

Eventually, everyone moved to the living room, Zenix and Sasha helping Gene stand up and make his way to sit on the couch, both dropping themselves down on either side of him. Conversation flowed easily throughout the group, Dante and Aaron included. It was peaceful, quiet, and overall calming; this was a new atmosphere that the Alejera household hasn’t seen for quite some time, and the members of the house loved it. 

Gene found himself cracking up at one of his mother’s stupid jokes, finding them funnier than usual. He wasn’t the only one laughing, Dante and Zenix were clutching their sides, Sasha had a hand over her mouth, suppressing her giggles, and Aaron’s low, deep chuckles were emitting from the chair he sat on, a twinkle in his eyes.

Maria had the proudest smile on her face at the reaction she received for the joke, staring at all the teenagers in her living room, taking each of them in in turn. Starting with the youngest, her little boy, Dante, who looked more like her than his brother, even getting the vibrant blue hair from her, which she had when she was his age, his eyes were from her as well, so was his skin, paler than Gene, but still darker than regular Americans. The only noticeable genes Dante received from his father was his build, moderate height and more on the fit side. ‘He has his father’s laugh and smile too..’ She thought, her own smile softening as she turned to the next child.

Zenix, usually brash and straight-forward. He never bothered beating around the bush when talking to her like Gene and Sasha do. If he had a question, or wanted to tell her something, he would, no hesitating or worrying. She always liked his hair, it was a rusty color that just.. fit him, and she remembered asking him why it would react in weird ways sometimes, learning of the nerves on his neck being sensitive, causing his hair to spike or fall depending on his emotions. ‘Like a porcupine..’ Yes, a porcupine, or maybe a hedgehog. Zenix was a perfect example of both, honestly. He was small and lithe, definitely the most agile of her son’s gang, and had a thin figure, which seemed to be a common physical trait in the Shadow Knights. His skin was whiter than the other men, but not as pale as Sasha, who could be a ghost for all they knew. The boy was also easily angered, and ferociously defensive or protective. If the Shadow Knights got into fights, he was the one who caused it most of the time.

And then there’s Sasha; a beautiful, pale as a ghost young girl who Maria knew would grow into an absolutely gorgeous woman. Like Zenix, her frame was thin, but well rounded. Perfect proportions, people might say. Maria had honestly hoped Gene would end up dating her, because she loved Sasha. The girl was sweet and kind to those she cared about, rather shy with expressing her feelings sometimes, but still strong-willed and strong-headed, never afraid to stand up for what's right. Which is why she was so accepting when Gene turned her down the year before, coming out as bisexual, but with a male lean. Maria had been shocked when Gene later came out to her that very same day, but quickly accepted him, and even helped him find, order, and pay for his Bisexual flag he had hanging in his room above his head.

Speaking of male leans, Maria’s eyes travelled over Aaron, a mysterious boy who she didn’t know much about. Gene had never mentioned him prior (Not that the two really talked much anymore, except for the day he came out), but the two obviously had a close relationship, from how easily they spoke, the soft smiles on their faces. The two were physically opposites, though. Aaron was rather tall, with a muscular build, and scars seemed to litter his body from what she’s seen, and his skin was a darker tan than Gene’s. He has an overall scruffiness to him, stubble all over his chin, clothes old and worn, tattered around the edges, and messy raven hair pretty much dropped onto his forehead. Much different from Gene.

Gene.. her first born and baby. Looking at him, sometimes she’d find herself looking at a nearly carbon copy of her ex-husband. Dark, oceanic eyes that waves were forever crashing against the shore, threatening to over take him, darker skin than Dante, but lighter than Aaron. His dark hair was often mistaken for black, so it came as a shock to people when they saw the sun shine on him, and make his hair explode in a brilliant combination of dark blues. He was the opposite of Dante, more of his dad’s features than his mom’s. The obvious thing he received from his mother was his own build, but unlike her, he had obvious muscles when he wasn't wearing baggy shirts. Thin, but fit, Gene could easily take people in a fight. He filled his shirts well, and had gotten a plethora of compliments for how good he looked. Well.. used to look. When sophomore year rolled around, he began to care less and less, wearing baggier shirts, loose jeans, long sleeves and hoodies. He let his hair grow out, and it was at the length that he could easily pull it back into a small ponytail. Sometimes, she couldn’t help but see her ex-husband in Gene, and other times she saw herself. He was put through so much during the divorce and year after that. That’s when their relationship grew stale, fragile. Neither could find a way to make the connection anymore, and they’ve attempted to repair the void between them to no avail many times in the past.

A knock jarred her from her thoughts, and she excused herself to answer it, leaving the kid’s in the living room while she did so.

“Hello, do you ne-” Maria cut herself off, heart shooting into her throat. The person on the other edge of the door lowered their hand from knocking, removing the hat and sliding a brand new looking Iphone into their pocket. She lifted bright blue eyes to their face.

And found herself staring into ocean blue eyes framed by raven hair, devoid of any blue unlike the boy who had received his gene’s from the stranger.

“Devon..”

“Hello Maria. I’m here to see my son.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes I know, Aphmau and the Not-Alone-Buddies aren't here, they didn't show up this chapter cause Aaron was bringing the SKs first, and the Aph and the other two later that day to not overwhelm Gene with people. They will be appearing next Chapter tho, I promise.


	6. Forgotten But Not Forgiven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Devon gets an earful, and Gene needs to get away, luckily, the arcade is glad to have him come back finally, even if there are four people in tow.

Devon’s arrival silenced the house, as if a freeze spell had been cast. As soon as he reached the entryway of the living room, the spell activated. Five pairs of various shades and color stared up at him, some in shock, some in confusion, and one in anger. None of the teenagers spoke, each taking their sweet time to take in the newest arrival and assess the current situation. And then, as suddenly as the spell was cast, it was broken; broken by a single word escaping a pair of soft lips, the spanish accent in their voice taking over as they spoke in their native language, and Devon found himself staring into an exact replica of his own eyes, but this pair was full of hatred, of anger, of pain and disgust. When No one moved or replied, they suddenly flung themself up on shaky, injured legs, arm being thrown out to point in the direction of the door as the voice bellowed out it’s demand this time, in a language that none of the other teens were fluent in except for the small replica of Maria.

“ YO FOLLANDO DIJE SALIR !” Gene screamed, unable to even stand so much as looking at the man in the entryway.

He heard his mother gasp, not caring about whatever reprimanding he got for cursing at the man. The stranger. The stranger who had left without a trace early one foggy Tuesday morning, long before his wife and two little boys, who were only 5 and 3 at the time, would rise. Left nothing to tell them where he was, or when he would be back. And trust him, Gene had been so sure his ‘daddy would come home any minute’, and that they just had to be patient. Had spent years waking up quickly and running to his parents room, ready to jump on his dad and playfully scold him for disappearing before Gene had woken up, ready to tell him that if Daddy had wanted to play hide and seek, all he had to do was ask.

And yet, he never came back. Gene was fifteen when he finally came to accept that his father wasn’t coming home. Finally abandoning his childish dream of a happy reunion. But here he was, standing in Maria’s living room entryway, looking shocked at Gene’s more than appropriate reaction to the sight of him.

“ Eugene, chico, cálmate.” Devon began, and Gene’s friends and ‘boyfriend’ quickly put two and two together. This was Gene’s father, the Hispanic man his mother had fallen for and carried two children, two possible heirs to the successful business Devon owned.

“¡¿Cálmese?! Desapareciste sin dejar rastro, hace más de una década, y de repente reapareces y lo primero que me dices que lo haga '¿CALMARTE?'”

“Entiendo, estás molesto y en estado de shock, pero-”

“¡No estoy en shock, estoy jodidamente enojado! ¿Esperabas volver a entrar en esta casa ... esta FAMILIA! y ser aceptado con los brazos abiertos?”

“Pequeño cromosoma ... por favor cálmate.”

At the sound of his mother’s timid and shaky spanish voice, Gene stopped, breathing through his nose and glaring with eyes narrowed to such sharp slits they would cut skin like it was butter. He took a deep breathe before turning to face the teens on the couch.

“I’m going for a walk. You can either come with me, or get the fuck out of my house too. Your decision, but I’m not waiting for you to make a choice. You all have legs, so you can catch up.”

With that, he shoved past Devon, and walked straight out the front door without another word, refusing to meet anyone’s gaze. Hot on his figurative tail was Aaron, while the other three teens stayed behind, frozen in their spots as they tried to process what just happened. Dante wasn’t as fluent as his brother in spanish, so he was especially left in the dark about what Gene had been screaming when he shifted to his native language.

Aaron and Gene walked a good distance away from the house, finding themselves in the town park. Gene pretty much threw himself onto a bench, hunched over with his elbows on his knees and head in his hands; he muttered to himself in Spanish, the only thing Aaron picking up were names. ‘ _ Devon, Maria, and Dante, so he must be talking about his family.. Devon must be the man’s name.’  _ Aaron thought, before realizing Gene was staring at him, waiting for some sort of reply.

“Uhm.. I understand almost zero of what you just said, Gene. I don’t speak Spanish, remember?” 

“You damn Americans.” Gene replied coldly, but the hint of humor he had was still there, still noticeable.

“Aren’t you an American too?”

“Somewhat. I was born near the border between here and Mexico, so my birth country is kinda fuzzy. English isn’t my first language either.”

This shocked Aaron for some reason. Gene was always so fluent and expressive in English that it was hard to imagine him not knowing English at first. “Really? That’s cool.”

“Yeah, I guess.. That's why I take spanish class, easy A for me. Anyways, what I asked was why did you bother following me?”

“Oh.. well, I figured you wouldn’t want to be alone right now, since you seemed pretty upset, I figured I would come keep you company and give you someone to talk to. Gene.. was that your dad?”

He laughed scornfully, shaking his head in disdain. “He shares my genes, and without him I wouldn’t have been born but no. He is not my father nor will he ever be. That title was stripped from him the minute he walked out the door that night.”

“Then why is he here now?”

“Probably to make amends since he was informed of the attack. The hospital had to contact both of my biological parents since Mom never got a new boyfriend. He thinks that our family will be so shaken up that we’d accept him back in with open arms, like we need a man of the house.”

“How old were y-”

“I was five. When he left. That’s what you were going to ask.”

“That means Dante was three. I’m sorry, Gene.”

Gene waved dismissively, the talk helping his anger ebb away and replacing it with a simple hollowness and pain that he had tried so hard to suppress. “Don’t give me your pity, Lycan, that’s not like you.”

“I wasn’t-”

“Yes. Yes you were. Trying to give me pity, just like the teachers did, the other kids who still had happy families. I don’t want sympathy, nor empathy, especially not from someone like you.”

Aaron frowned, eyebrows furrowing together as he glared at Gene. “What in the name of Irene is that supposed to mean?”

“I don’t want that from people who don’t understand. Your parents are still together, still happily married. You’re the youngest, and never had to struggle to help your mom or dad make ends meet whether it be working multiple part time jobs, doing odd jobs.. Or stealing to survive. You probably never had to worry about ending up on the streets with no way to feed your little brother and help your mom. You didn’t have to fight every single day to stay alive until things got better.”

Silence descended upon them after he finished speaking, the words sinking in to Aaron as he examined Gene, realization hitting him for the first time.

“That’s why… That’s why you’re never in class, you’re trying to earn money to keep things moving.”

“Bingo, Lycan. You figured me out, proud of yourself?”

“No, not really. Do Zenix and Sasha know?”

“Nope. They both have their own home issues, I don’t need to burden them with mi-”

“Aaron! Gene!” A voice called out, followed by three pairs of feet scampering over.

Aphmau led the trio, with Vylad and Travis holding up the rear, forming a semi-circle around the two older men on the bench.

“Why are you out and about, Gene? You should be at home resting.” Vylad commented, emerald eyes scanning him for signs of injury as if the marks weren’t all completely covered by clothes and bandages.

“I had to get out of the house before I lost my mind. Why are you guys here?”

“We were on our way to your house! Aaron never texted me back about what time we should come, so we thought we’d head over. It took a lot of convincing for us to get Mrs. and Mr. Ro’Meave to agree to let Vylad come.”

Gene stiffened a bit, and Aaron saw his expression sour at the mention of Vylad’s parents. Not wanting Gene to fall into a depressive state in front of the others, Aaron cleared his throat and stood up, extending a hand to the spanish boy.

“Why don’t we all go to the arcade to kill some time, I’m sure you miss cheating at all the games there, Alejera.”

Despite his soured mood, Gene couldn’t help but smile at the thought of returning to the only arcade in town, his favourite place to chill and hang out with Zenix and Sasha. And sure, he cheated at the games sometimes, but hey, the games were almost all rigged, so was he truly to blame? He reached up and grasped the offered hand, using it as an anchor as he pulled himself up, the adrenaline in him dissipating and reminding him that he was still recovering and shouldn’t have exerted himself so much. But he’ll be damned if he let that keep him from going to the arcade. Grinning at Aaron, he glanced at the three freshmen and chuckled.

“Hell yeah I’m down, let's go win us some shitty prizes!”

“It’s a date then.”

At the arcade, the place wasn’t as packed as you’d expect it to be on a Saturday afternoon, yet that made it better for them since it meant Gene wouldn’t get too overwhelmed. They ended up splitting into teams, Freshman versus Seniors, and tasked themselves to try and get more tickets than the other team. Now Gene and Aaron would’ve been at a disadvantage since that made it 3-on-2, but both were actually pretty damn good at the games, apparently having spent countless afternoons together out of school at the arcade playing games, even if they’ve never realized the other was there.

The girls working the ticket counter were thrilled upon spotting Gene, and ushered him over to welcome him back and see how he was doing. Now, when you’re a well-known frequenter of a place and you come back after recovering from something, places like this love to help you out. And by that Gene means he got 100 free tokens, and only had to pay half price for another 100 for Aaron.

Equipped with enough tokens for hours of playing, they set off, deciding to work together on the tougher games. Aaron proved to be a pro at skeeball, while Gene showed off his skill at whack-a-mole and the hammer bell game. The teens were grinning and laughing at their good fortune, occasionally passing the Freshman team but never stopping long enough to check their opponents progress. Finally, they decided to take a break and get some of the cardboard pizza the place offered, sitting in a booth as their conversation flowed easily between them. The topics soon shifted to dating and sexualities after a bit, and Gene occupied himself with counting how many tickets they currently had.

“Hey.. Why did you tell Balto you were dating another guy anyways?”

Shock filled his head as the number of tickets escaped, making him have to start over once he answered.

“W-well uhm…” He began, stuttering and mumbling, embarrassed of his answer.

“Oh shit, sorry.. That was kinda personal, just forget I asked!” Aaron exclaimed, catching how put off he was by the question.

“N-no, no! It’s fine, it just caught me off guard… I uh.. I told him I was dating a guy cause he knows I’m bisexual.”

“O-oh.. I didn’t know that.”

“Duh! It’s not like I go around telling people that. Zenix, Sasha, and Balto are the only people who know besides you now.”

“Why does Balto know.”

“He was eavesdropping on us in Freshman year, shortly before he began to pursue me.. Aaron I have a question.”

“Yeah?”

“Is this technically a date?”

“A date..”

“Yeah, y’know.. A fake date, not a real one.”

“Uhm.. Yeah, I guess it is.”

“Awesome..”

He smiled, putting the tickets back and standing up, wiping his hands with napkins before picking up the cup that held their tokens.

“What are we waiting for? Let’s go crush some puny Freshmen.”

**Author's Note:**

> leave comments and kudos, let me know what you guys think!!
> 
> Mel signing out


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